Is Your Landlord Responsible for Electrical Repairs?

If you are renting a property and you have noticed electrical problems — dodgy sockets, flickering lights, a fuseboard that keeps tripping — you might be wondering who is responsible for getting it fixed. The short answer is that in most cases, your landlord is legally required to maintain the electrical installation in your rented home. Here is what you need to know.

What the law says

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 made it a legal requirement for landlords to have the electrical installations in their properties inspected and tested by a qualified electrician at least every five years. This is done through an Electrical Installation Condition Report, commonly known as an EICR.

If the EICR identifies any issues classified as C1 (danger present) or C2 (potentially dangerous), the landlord must arrange for a qualified electrician to carry out the remedial work within 28 days, or sooner if specified in the report.

What counts as the landlord’s responsibility?

Your landlord is responsible for maintaining the fixed electrical installation in the property. This includes the consumer unit or fuseboard, the wiring throughout the property, sockets and light switches that were installed as part of the property, hardwired smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, any electrical work that was done as part of the original fit-out, and the earthing and bonding systems.

What is the tenant’s responsibility?

As a tenant, you are generally responsible for your own appliances — things you have plugged in yourself like washing machines, kettles, and lamps. You are also expected to report any electrical problems to your landlord promptly and to not interfere with the fixed installation.

What if your landlord will not fix electrical problems?

If you have reported an electrical issue and your landlord has not responded, you have several options. Start by putting your complaint in writing, keeping a copy for your records. If the problem poses an immediate danger, contact your local council’s Environmental Health department. They have the power to enforce repairs and can issue improvement notices to landlords.

In serious cases, the local authority can arrange for the work to be done and charge the landlord for it. Landlords who fail to comply with electrical safety regulations can face fines of up to 30,000 pounds.

What should a landlord’s EICR include?

A proper EICR involves a thorough inspection and testing of the entire electrical installation. The electrician will check the consumer unit, test every circuit for earth fault loop impedance, insulation resistance, and polarity, inspect sockets and switches, verify earthing and bonding, and check RCD operation. The report will classify any defects using a coding system from C1 (most serious) to C3 (improvement recommended).

Advice for landlords

If you are a landlord in Rotherham or South Yorkshire, staying on top of your electrical safety obligations protects both your tenants and your investment. We work with many landlords across the area and can provide EICR testing, remedial work, and ongoing maintenance to keep your properties compliant.

We understand the pressures of managing rental properties, so we offer flexible scheduling and can often complete EICR testing and any remedial work in a single visit to minimise disruption to your tenants.

Need an EICR or electrical repair?

Whether you are a tenant who needs your landlord to arrange an inspection, or a landlord looking for a reliable NAPIT-registered electrician, we are here to help. Call Mat on 07817 171954 or get a free quote online.